3.2L Disassembly: Case Separation - Crankshaft Stuck To Case Half

[Gordo2]

Folks,

I separated the case halves this evening but had an unusual go at it.

The case parted just fine but as I lifted off the top half, the crankshaft came with it.

(Crankshaft stuck in top half of the case):


Found a couple of things that seemed to cause the problem:

1. One of the rod ends was binding in the case - the rod wouldn't budge and the crank wouldn't rotate:


Took a bit of jiggling of the case and crankshaft to free it up. Stood the case & crank on end which allowed enough movement to unbind the rod.


2. The front crankshaft seal (flywheel end) was really stuck to the case. I removed it by pulling it over the end of the crank (while the crankshaft was still stuck to the case). This gave me some more wiggle room to free up #1 above.

Once the seal and binding were removed the crank separated from the case half (although still reluctantly).



Took a break midstream to search Pelican for similar problems & resolution but didn't find anything - so I thought I would share my trials & tribulations. The good news - STD bearings/mains...

Gordo

Side Note: First attempt to separate the case was unsuccessful until I flipped the engine on the stand to find that I failed to remove a nut (duh ). Once the nut was removed the case separated with minimal coaxing via rubber mallet.

[AlfonsoR]

You may want to check the crank for straightness/ runout. What all do you have planned for this engine?

[Gordo2]

Originally Posted by AlfonsoR

What all do you have planned for this engine?

If the crank needed checked for runout, wouldn't I notice unusual wear pattern on the bearings? The bearing surfaces had very limited wear; mains had no indication of wear.

The previous owner rebuilt the engine ~ 30k miles/9 years ago. Crank was checked and polished. Ran OK when purchased (Motronic issue causing stumbling low-mid RPM). I'm tearing it down to inspect, seal and upgrade:

Street performance:
PMO 46mm carbs
GT2-102 cams (from JD)
XDi single plug
JE 9.5:1
B&B Headers/Exhaust
ARP Rod bolts & head studs

Dropping it into my SC.

Gordo